Teacher Devotions: Love and Hate - Philippians 2:8

The podcast for today’s devotional can be found at the following link:

http://traffic.libsyn.com/stushie/Love_and_Hate.mp3

Philippians 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross!

I love the snow; I just hate driving in it. Even though I was born in Scotland and drove through many blizzards on the West Coast at night, when I could barely see a thing, I find that driving in the snow covered streets of the South is much more hazardous. There seems to be more black ice and bad drivers here than I ever experienced back in Scotland, so even when an inch of snow hits our roads in and around Knoxville, it’s deathly dangerous.

I guess it’s because people are just not used to the white stuff falling on the streets each winter. The local authorities don’t seem to be wholly prepared either and yet, we all know that winter comes around every year at this time.

I love being a Christian; I just hate the struggles that I have each day in trying to maintain my faith. Even though I grew up in the Church and have spent much of my life as a pastor, it’s still hard to be the perfect saint that everyone expects. I’m only human after all, so I’m going to make mistakes and at the end of each day, I’ve usually got a whole list of sins to ask God for forgiveness. As each day starts, I begin with the best of intentions; as each day closes, I seek pardon for the offenses I’ve caused and the temptations to which I have yielded.

I love Jesus Christ too; I just hate the fact that He died on the Cross for me. Even though I know He did it to obey God and obtain my salvation, I feel guilty about driving the nails through His hands with my personal sins. I know that I’ll never be perfect and that I’ll need His Cross each day to pin my sins upon Him. I hate that, but at the same time I am also deeply grateful that Jesus saved and saves me from my sins by His humility and obedience which led to the Cross.

Perhaps you are feeling guilty about something you once did or said. Maybe you feel distant from God or separated from Him because of sinful acts and shameful secrets. I hate those things too, but this I love: there is nothing that we have ever done or said that can ever separate us from the love God through our Lord Jesus Christ. If we let Him into our lives and open our hearts to Him, if we accept Him and believe that He has the power to pardon us, then He will grant us forgiveness instantly and immediately, totally and completely.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we love You dearly, but we hate the fact that we caused You to die on the Cross for our past mistakes and present sins. We are humbled by Your humility and are in awe of Your obedience to God. Without Your death, we would have no Life; without Your sacrifice, we would have no salvation. In Your Name, we live and pray. Amen.


John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org

Today’s drawing is a nighttime scene of the Henley Street bridge in Knoxville. The picture is called “Moon over Henley.” If you would like to view a larger version of the drawing, please click here: http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5249/5322272559_cdb65afa3d_b.jpg

All of John’s drawings can be found on the Web at his art site at http://www.stushieart.wordpress.com/

Signed, numbered and matted prints are available for only $20 each (plus shipping if necessary). They make unique gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and new homes. Just contact John by email and he’ll be delighted to help you.

teacher Devotions: Spirituality and Salvation

Psalm 11:7      For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.

There’s a saying amongst evangelical Christians which goes something like this: ‘Everybody has some form of spirituality, but not everyone has salvation.’

When God created human beings, He breathed life into the first bodies, according to Genesis 2: v 7

‘the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’ Many theologians believe that the breath of life mentioned in the text actually refers to the spirit or soul of a human being. Because it contains the breath of God, this is what makes it eternal.

The spirit inside each of us longs to be reunited with God. This is why we are often restless, distracted, and dissatisfied at times throughout our lives. We each are seeking that divine reconnection. We all feel isolated and separated from the rest of creation at times. We all believe that there must be something better, something more meaningful, and something more to life itself. Our spirits yearn to be fulfilled, to find happiness, and to know peace. This is what salvation is: to be completely restored to God, the Giver of Life and the Creator of our spirits.

All people are spiritual then, but not all spirituality leads to salvation. This is why it is so important that Christ’s Church speaks out with certainty to the world. Christ’s Gospel reveals the whole truth about salvation and in Him we can be restored to God. Any other way is a spiritual path that leads people away from being made complete. Any other form of spirituality is bogus and ultimately ends up in oblivion.

Jesus came into the world to show us the path to salvation and the door to the Kingdom of God. We are not left without hope, like hapless creatures scurrying around the world seeking life’s answers. God cared enough for us and loved us so deeply that He sent Christ into the world to provide us with the answer to salvation. Jesus is the Way to return to God. In Him, the truth about salvation will set us free to be with God forever.

This is why Christianity is a missional faith and not a personal one. When we place our spirits into Christ’s hands, He asks us to go out into the world to share this salvation with others. Jesus wants everyone to be restored to God. He wants all spiritual people to find true salvation. It’s up to us to continue His ministry, by helping more people understand His crucial message.

Prayer:                        Lord Jesus, You want everyone to be completely restored to God and to enjoy His presence forever. Our spirits long for that reconnection, sow e pray that Your Holy Spirit will help us to lead others to You, Your Way, and Your Salvation fro humankind. In Your Powerful and sacred Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment on today’s message, please send him an email to pastor@erinpresbyterian.org.